by Fran Lee
Several protectors that had been left to guard the compound approached with the physician, and she held up her hands to calm everyone. “I’m okay…no one harmed me. Please…will one of you go find the searchers and tell them I am fine?”
The males sniffed deeply, and lips curled viciously to show sharp teeth. She knew that they wouldn’t believe she hadn’t been forced until she told them what happened out there. She drew a deep breath and looked into the physician’s green eyes. “Truly, I haven’t been touched by anyone. The wolves you are scenting rescued me when I wandered too far from our territory trying to follow Sheba. They treated me with the greatest respect. Please believe that. They would never have harmed me.” She glanced from male to male. “They instantly knew that I was carrying, and treated me like a queen.”
They males seemed to debate her words silently, then with a curt nod, one of the males stripped and shifted to find the searchers. The physician leaned closer and took a deep sniff, and let out a sigh of relief. “She has no scent of recent sex. And her scent as a carrying female is extremely strong.” He announced loudly to alleviate the worries of the surrounding pack members, but then he gently took her arm and led her back to the big house as the crowd dispersed, except for the two males who followed closely. When they were inside the foyer, he turned to her and frowned.
“They did not violate you, but I scent that they touched you more than just protectively. I smell saliva on your skin. Did they molest you in any way?” The eyes of the protectors were glued to her pink cheeks as she glanced from male to male.
She lifted her chin and drew herself to her tallest height. “They did not. I gave each male a kiss of gratitude for saving me. In the human world, where I came from before returning here, kissing someone as a platonic gesture of friendship is not unusual, nor is it looked down upon. If any one of you had rescued me, I would not have hesitated to thank you in such a manner. Do you understand?” Her eyes met each male’s squarely. Emotions flared in every gaze. It wasn’t something any wolf would take lightly, but she had no intention of letting them assume she was unfaithful to any of her mates.
After a long moment of silence so deep she could have cut it with a butter knife, the physician gave a short, self-deprecating laugh, and nodded sharply. “In that case, I will most certainly be expecting a kiss from our Alpha female as full payment for any services rendered. And don’t be surprised if you find dozens of our males striving to do every possible favor for you hoping for a similar reward.”
After a shocked moment, she heard the protectors give a collective sigh and the soft chuckling made her feel she’d made her point. “Bless you, Dr. Harris…” she breathed softly as she leaned close and planted a soft, smiling kiss on his cheek. “You are all my family now.”
The biggest of the males grinned suddenly and nudged the physician. “If Mace gets a whiff of you, he might try to take your head off. I suggest you go wash your face.”
She then did something that was totally unheard of in the pack. She reached out and briefly touched each male’s cheek and whispered gently, “For your love and kindness, I would readily die for each and every one of you. Never forget this…”
Red faces and amazed stares followed her as she climbed the stairs to her room. Little did Kenna know that her words and her touch had firmly cemented each male’s loyalty and undying love of her. To them, she was a treasure beyond price…their long-awaited queen. And she had bestowed on each male a rare gift.
Chapter Eleven
She stripped off her dirt-coated clothes and stepped into the big shower, sighing appreciatively as the heat of the spray soaked into her muscles and bones. She filled her loofah with the lilac-scented shower gel she adored, and thoroughly scrubbed her body until she felt squeaky clean and refreshed. She had just shoved her head under the spray and was reaching for the shampoo when the bathroom door opened so hard, it made her jump with shock.
The glass shower door slid aside and three very angry males were shucking their clothes as fast as they could, their gazes locked on her naked body. She dropped the shampoo bottle as Mace stepped into her personal space and shoved her back into the cool tiles behind her. “Where the fuck did you go, Kenna?” His growled question sent shivers through her as the others stepped into the enclosure and the glass door slid shut.
The steam was not as hot as the heat rising from their bodies as Dune and Gant reached out to secure an arm at each side of her. She opened her mouth to reply, and Mace took her mouth in a hot and deep kiss as her other mates bent to taste her dripping nipples. A vicious snarl reverberated against her lips as Mace drew back and stared down at her with an expression akin to agony.
“Who is he, Kenna? Who dared to kiss you? He’ll live only long enough to feel his nuts being torn from his body and stuffed down his throat!”
The others lifted their heads to stare in shock at her as Mace encircled her throat with one huge hand. Dune caught Mace’s wrist and his voice was low and angry. “She’s home, brother…there’s no need to threaten her.”
Kenna stiffened, feeling her mate’s rage flow over her like a river of blood. She just stared up into those emerald green eyes, and willed him to stop and calm down. If he had reason to believe she had been unfaithful, he and his brothers had the right, under pack law, to set her aside and take the pups from her when they were born. They could kill her outright, or banish her once she gave birth.
Gant gently tugged his brother’s fingers from her throat, and inserted his big body between Mace and Kenna. “Chill, brother. She belongs to all of us…not just you. And I would like to hear what made her leave the compound, and what happened when she was gone.”
Kenna swallowed hard, and leaned into Gant’s massive frame, shaking like a leaf. Her eldest mate caressed her cheek and bent to look into her wide eyes. “Finish your shower and we’ll discuss this when we have all settled down a bit.” Then he lifted his gaze to Mace and said “And we’ll allow you to explain without threats…”
He bent and retrieved the shampoo, and when she couldn’t keep hold of it, he gently opened it and shampooed her hair for her, while Dune quickly bathed and stepped out to get towels. Mace simply stood with his back to the shower wall, staring at the drain as the shampoo bubbles swirled around and vanished. Dune held a large bath sheet out as Gant helped Kenna out of the shower, and between the two of them, she was dry and curled up on Gant’s lap on the edge of the big bed, with Dune gently finger-combing the tangles out of her towel-dried hair.
Kenna clung wearily to Gant’s big body as he gently rocked her and pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring that everything would be okay. But somehow, Kenna knew that she would never have the same close relationship with Mace as before. The pain in his eyes…the accusation…and then the hand squeezing her throat. Those were things she would never be able to get out of her mind.
He hadn’t even given her a chance to explain what had happened. He had simply assumed that she was guilty of something nefarious. And she would never get rid of that fear.
She fell asleep in Gant’s arms, and when she woke a few hours later, Dune and Gant were the only ones in the bedroom with her. Mace was gone. She glanced around the darkened room, and tears slid down her cheeks as she buried her face in the curve of Gant’s bare shoulder.
A knock at the door brought a tray of food, and Dune insisted that she eat as Gant built up the fire for the night. When she was fed and warm, Gant sat on the edge of the bed while Dune held her in his arms, gently stroking her bare shoulder comfortingly. “What happened?”
She sighed and closed her eyes. ”Sheba left the compound while everyone was busy cleaning the area. I had hoped to get her alone to talk to her…maybe find out what is going through her mind.” She snuggled deeper into Dune’s embrace. “But once she was out of sight, she took off fast, and I followed without thinking how dangerous it was. Before I realized where she was headed, I was way outside Dumont territory.” She met Gant’s eyes. “She entered a hu
ge ravine after breaking from tree cover, and I stopped because I realized she was probably headed back to report to Draga. She wasn’t out for a walk. She knew where she was going.”
“Go on…” Gant breathed softly.
“I turned to return to the compound, and found myself face to face with a loner I had never seen before, and his brother caught me to stop me from running like hell.”
Dune’s low growl and the look on Gant’s handsome face had her fighting to calm both of them. “Stop that! They realized who I was, and knew I was pregnant. Neither of them made so much as an indecent move toward me. When they told me that Draga had offered them a place in his pack, but that they had refused, I offered them and their brothers a place with us. We could certainly use some strong fighters, and Lance and Blade Yellowhorse look pretty damn strong. Was I wrong to make that offer?”
Gant lifted both brows. “I didn’t know they were so close to us. They haven’t been near Dumont territory for over five years.” He seemed thoughtful. “No, sweet thing…you did the right thing…but it was foolhardy of you to follow Sheba away from safety. Other loners might have attacked you, or Vincent’s men may have caught you.” His dark eyes searched her face. She knew what he was waiting to hear.
“Gant…when they escorted me safely back to the woods outside the compound, I gave each of them a kiss to thank them. I thought nothing of it because humans hug and kiss to show gratitude and friendship. And to be very honest, I felt I owed them a great amount of gratitude for their protection.”
Dune growled again, and she turned her head to glare at him. He frowned and groused, “That’s a bit more than gratitude. Sounds like someone took advantage of your gratitude.” His tone was more than sarcastic. It was accusatory.
Kenna pulled away from Dune and slipped out of bed, picking up her robe and pulling it on. Gant stared at her quietly, as if looking at a different woman than the one who had shared his bed. She turned to face them and sighed. “I was the one to offer a kiss. No one took advantage of me. I felt it was desperately needed at the moment, and you’ll just have to trust me. Kissing a lonely male and comforting him is not a symptom of an unfaithful mate.” She gazed into angry eyes, and sighed. “I’m going to sleep in my old room. When the three of you grow up, come talk to me.”
She got three steps before Gant caught her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t, Kenna.” His voice was a low growl. ”You sleep with your mates. Do you wish to be punished?” His voice was deep and angry, and his eyes were almost black. She shivered and strained to loosen his grip.
“Punished? Are you going to beat me?” Her voice was tight with indignation. “You know that if you lay a hand on me, I’ll tear it off!”
“I have no wish to hurt you, Kenna…but you will stay in this bed.” His tone and the way he let his eyes taste every inch of her left her in no doubt about his intentions.
“You kissed another male…” Dune’s voice was a deep rumble.
Kenna shook her head and glared up at them. “You are deliberately misreading what happened. Get over this petty male macho bullshit and understand that I have a brain and I know how to use it! I did what I felt was needed to settle a debt…a debt of honor. Of course, that’s something you big apes wouldn’t understand.”
“You belong to us. If you wish to see another male torn to shreds by your mates, kiss him in gratitude. Do you understand?” The jealousy bled from Dune’s pores.
Kenna struggled against their hands. “Am I or am I not the alpha bitch of this pack? Why should others have any respect for me if my own mates don’t? I’ll sleep in the room I had before I left. You don’t own me…none of you. I stayed as your mate because I thought you needed me. There will be no punishment, because I did nothing wrong. Don’t expect me to act like some little cowering wolf-bitch because you three can’t handle reality. These aren’t the middle ages. Men don’t own women. And men who can’t trust a woman don’t deserve to have her.”
* * * * *
Mace stepped into the big bedroom, his anger having been extinguished by a hard run in wolf form. His eyes slid to the bed, then to his brothers, who sat staring at each other across the coffee table before the fireplace. “Where’s Kenna?”
Gant lifted one dark brow. “She’s banned us from her bed until we grow brains.”
Mace glanced at Dune as the youngest sibling spoke. “She’s sleeping in her old room. And I wouldn’t go there right now, if you want to keep your dick firmly attached. She’s pissed as all hell at the three of us.”
“What? She weighs about 120? You couldn’t control a small female?”
Gant shook his head. “You’re welcome to go try to talk her into coming back to sleep with us…it’s your funeral.”
Mace swung around and headed for Kenna’s old bedroom, hearing them wish him luck as he strode down the hall to drag their mate back to her proper place.
Kenna heard him coming, and frowned as he tried to open her locked door. “Go away. I don’t want to see your face.”
The door crashed inward and the broken lock flew halfway across the room. She glared at the angry male from her chair beside the window. “You’ll have to fix that. Are you happy?”
He crossed the room in three long strides, and swung her up into his arms so quickly, she gasped in shock. “Put me down, Mace. I’m so damn angry, you don’t want to open your fly anywhere near me.”
His green eyes narrowed on her furious face. “What the fuck is your problem, woman? Since when do you decide to refuse your mates your body?”
“Since my “mates” decided I was some kind of slut for being nice to people. I said, put me down!” She flashed to wolf form and snapped at him as he swore loudly and dropped her. She snarled at him when he stepped closer, and he cursed.
“Dammit, Kenna! You could have hurt yourself and the pups! Stop being stupid and come back to our bed.”
Lay a hand on me, “mate” and you’ll lose it.
“You are being obstinate and ridiculous. You will come back to our bed, or…”
Or what? You and Gant and Dune will beat me? Stop with the macho shit. If you don’t want what I am for your alpha bitch, then let me leave. I will not sleep with three assholes who don’t trust me. Go find one of the unmated bitches and fuck her!
Mace drew a shaking breath. “We don’t want any other female. We want you…”
Kenna jumped up on the narrow bed and curled up to sleep. Well, I don’t want you.
Pride smarting and body at the boiling point, Mace left the house to run again, and heard his brothers as they joined him.
Great job of getting our mate back into our bed, bro.
Shut the fuck up, Dune.
As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather grovel and beg forgiveness than sleep without her.
I refuse to grovel and beg for the privilege of sleeping with a female. There are too many females who are willing.
But not one of them fires your blood like Kenna does, asshole. I’m with Dune. I plan to crawl to that female and beg. And I’ll be damn happy to take your place as her first, brother.
Mace snarled viciously and nearly knocked Gant over as he plowed into his older brother’s side.
Like fucking hell!
Then stop your whining and go with us when we beg her forgiveness. I, for one, will not lose the one female among the packs that can bring us back together.
You really believe that Kenna is the one?
Gant eased back and sank to his belly in the deep grass, panting.
Our parents believed it. And the bitch shows so many of the traits, it has to be true.
Well, great alpha…she’s always had me by the balls…and I know Mace has always had the hots for her, too. I can’t make it another day without having her close enough to touch. I vote we get our collective asses back to the house and grovel.
Mace glared at his younger sibling, but for the life of him, he couldn’t find the desire in him to disagree. He needed Kenna like he needed to breathe…and no oth
er bitch would ever satisfy the deep searing need she filled in him.
Chapter Twelve
“Well, well, well…” The husky voice that brought her up from sleep did not belong to any of her mates. Kenna knew that voice well, and she tried to fight free of the strong hands that held her flat on the mattress.
“How’d you get in the house?” she managed to squeak through the hand that covered her mouth.
“It was so fucking easy to get past the guards. Most of them probably didn’t even know the root cellar in the basement connects to the fruit cellar a few yards from the main house by a tunnel.” Jarred Kennard’s sharp-toothed grin left her feeling sick inside.
“My mates will tear you apart!”
Narrowed eyes met hers as he forced his body harder between her bare legs, and she realized that he was as naked as she. “Get off me!” She tried to buck his heavy body off, but only succeeded in widening her legs enough to allow his hard cock to press against her pussy lips. She gasped and tried to close her legs.
He laughed softly and lowered more weight until she was totally pinned under him. “It was kind of Gant and his brothers to go for a run and leave the house. How do you like the idea of having a real wolf fucking you, Kenna? I guarantee you won’t need those three to satisfy you. I’ll be glad to keep you full of thick, long cock, sweet thing. I’ll show you what a real alpha can do to your lovely body…”
She froze and tried to think calmly. Surely Vincent and his assassins knew she carried pups. He could not impregnate her, but he could harm her babies if he forced himself on her. “If you touch me, I’ll tear your cock off and feed it to you. And Gant, Mace and Dune will tear the rest of your foul corpse apart, piece by piece.”
